Mentors
Raymond C.H Bryan 鈥�94
Financial Advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Ray Bryan is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott LLC. He helps a select
group of clients build, manage, preserve, and transition their wealth. Ray has advised
families going through significant liquidity events by working with them, helping
to set up their investment plans and processes. He also serves as vice president of
the board of the Adult and Senior Center of Saratoga and The Exchange/The Orchard
Project, committed to the creation of bold new work by the most innovative artists
from the US and around the world.
Tal Chitayat 鈥�03
Co-founder and CEO Full Circle Home
Tal is the co-founder and CEO of Full Circle Home. Tal comes from a professional background
in product development, supply chain management, and manufacturing. In 2009 Tal, along
with three partners, upset that environmental responsibility does not play a bigger
role in the creative process for the housewares market, started Full Circle Home.
They believed that consumers shouldn鈥檛 be forced to choose between style, function,
affordability, and sustainability and that the next generation of products should
be made responsibly without sacrificing form or function. Today, Full Circle鈥檚 cleaning,
composting, storage, and hydration products can be found in thousands of retailers
around the world.
Christine Juneau 鈥�82, P 鈥�18
Principal, Christine Juneau LLC
An independent business advisor since 2010, Christine Juneau helps business owners
and management teams identify and implement relevant performance measurements that
tie strategic vision, goals, and objectives to execution and achievement of results.
Beginning her career in marketing and promotion, she went on to serve for 20 years
in leadership positions with John S. Herold Inc., an independent research firm focused
on companies, transactions, and trends in the global energy industry, and IHS Inc.,
a major provider of global market, industry, and technical expertise.
Kathryn Peper 鈥�78
Physician
A Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Katie Peper had a long and distinguished
career in academic medicine with the Yale School of Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital
in New York City, and Morristown (N.J.) Medical Center before opening a private practice
to follow a philosophy of healing centered on the patient. Board-certified in internal
medicine in 1987, she attended New York Medical College. Both her daughters have entered
the startup world. Lauren Platt is CEO and founder of Vensette, an on-demand beauty
service that brings luxury hair and makeup artists to clients鈥� doors. Ashley Platt
founded Luxholdups, a custom Lucite and brass home furnishings company with workshops
in Brooklyn and showroom in Manhattan.
Gregg Smith 鈥�92
Serial Entrepreneur
Gregg Smith is an active independent venture investor and, since 2011, has been the
chief innovation officer of Edison Nation, an online 鈥渋nnovation marketplace鈥� of independent
inventors focused on consumer and medical products, and has produced four seasons
of the Emmy-award winning PBS television show on innovation, Everyday Edisons. Prior
to Edison, Smith was an investment banker and head of the Private Equity Group at
Cowen and Co., and previously worked at Banc of America Securities and Bear Stearns.
Linda Toohey
91福利社Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus
Linda Toohey served for more than 30 years as an executive with the Saratoga County
(N.Y.) Chamber of Commerce, retiring in 2012. Prior to joining the Saratoga Chamber,
Linda was president and publisher of the Saratogian, a Gannett-owned newspaper. Linda
is the immediate past chair of the 91福利社 Board of Trustees, a position
she held for four years. She served as a member of the board for fifteen years. She
currently serves on the board of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, as well as the
boards of the Charles R. Wood Foundation and the Saratoga Foundation.
Nancy Wekselbaum 鈥�73
Owner, The Gracious Gourmet
Balsamic four-onion spread. Mango/pineapple chutney. Fennel blood-orange tapenade.
These are just a few of the remarkable award winning flavors that Nancy Wekselbaum
produces and sells through The Gracious Gourmet, the small-batch condiment maker she
established in 2006 after a friend tasted her dried fruit chutney and told her she
should build a business around it. Now selling more than 23 products globally, Wekselbaum鈥檚
mission is to market all natural sophisticated products that elevate everyone鈥檚 favorite
dishes and make every meal a special occasion.
Brendan Wootten P 鈥�20
Managing Director, Goldman Sachs & Co.
Brendan Wootten is managing director, Goldman Sachs & Co. He began his career at Salomon
Brothers and has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. He
has a history of business building, having established portfolio trading desks at
two different firms, one as a co-founder at the former Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
and secondly at the former Thomas Weisel Partners LLC. He joined Goldman Sachs in
2003 in the Securities Division and has held various roles at the firm during his
tenure, including head of Portfolio Sales, Electronic Trading Coverage, and International
Portfolio Trading. He currently is a manager on the Macro Sales Trading Desk, which
serves institutional clients for global portfolio trading, synthetics, exchange traded
funds.